| Summary: | A participatory health communication strategy for sustainable development: HIVIAIDS in
Potchefstroom
Participatory communication is a relatively new and innovative means through which
development in the community can be achieved. As a communication medium it differs
substantially from the traditional approaches in that it practices a horizontal approach to
communication and assumes that the community at whom the development is directed knows
best what they require. It advocates the inclusion of the community into the planning and
implementation phases of the development project. Focusing on HNIAIDS, it is required that
participatory communication is discussed from a health perspective. Therefore the participatory
approach for health communication is discussed as the most suitable communication for health
communication pertaining to the context of this study.
An extensive literature study revealed previous studies on participatory communication had been
done but none specifically focused on participatory communication in a health context. With the
present research the Potchefstroom Municipal Health Authority and the Local AIDS Council had
been selected, in order to identify the steps that need to be followed in implementing a
participatory health communication strategy in the community. The general aim of the study
was to describe these steps in order to propose guidelines to the Potchefstroom Municipal Health
Authority that would assist in the implementation of this strategy to the community. The
assumption was made that without buy-in from the community into the participatory health
communication strategy, the communication strategy would end and this would end the
communication process, resulting in an unsustainable development initiative with regard to
HIVIAIDS in the Potchefstroom community.
Content analysis, interviews and literature review as research methods had been used during the
study in order to triangulate the findings made. The available literature had been analysed to
find the guidelines on the unique characteristics of the participatory communication and the role
of health communication. The National and Provincial HIVIAIDS policy documents had also
been analysed focusing on the requirements from government and determining what the
participatory health communication strategy should focus on with regard to the HIVIAIDS
pandemic. The results of the content analyses were compared to the findings made in the
interviews conducted with the members of the Potchefstroom Municipal Health Authority and
Potchefstroom Local AIDS Council.
After an in-depth review of the literature the broad guidelines regarding participatory
communication in a health context were established for a participatory health communication
strategy at community level for HIVIAIDS communication. === Thesis (M.A. (Communication Studies))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.
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